Catalina Island

Sailing in 10-15kts in sun with the Monitor windvane made for an enjoyable 30 mile trip to this island of contrasts. Low red beige sandy hills with sage and cacti dotted over them, we see over 100 mooring buoys in the small, “quiet” anchorage of Catalina Harbour. Room for 200 to anchor or so says the guide book, we see room for perhaps thirty in this small Bay. Through a sandy half mile walk , we come to the other side of Two Harbours—more open to swell and stuffed with mooring buoys. A trendy dining room, outside bar, little grocery store and laundry make up what one cruiser told us was the only place twenty-five million people could go on the weekend. '

This Isthmus Cove is developed, busy with frequent passenger ferries unlike the “quiet” side of Cat harbour. Rates to permanently buy a buoy were $72,000.00for a 30 ft boat, $1,000,000.00 for over a 100ft. Owners can rent out the buoys or sublease them. The waiting list for sublease is 10 years, 15 years at Avalon, the “famous” anchorage. The island is actually beautiful but so cluttered with the buoys in the anchorages and hotels, condos and shops on the shore. Cruise ships come every two days to Avalon. With no cars, people buzz around in golf carts on a handful of skinny, little streets. So much for getting away from it all!